


Mother

by Tht0neGal666



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Janet Drake Scares Me, Short, moms, word vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 14:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18573775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tht0neGal666/pseuds/Tht0neGal666
Summary: "I am no son of a bitch, I am the heir to a bastard."





	Mother

**Author's Note:**

> I heard the quote from the summary while watching TFS's FF7-Abridged, and just *had* to pump this out before it left my head. There's really nothing else to say. Enjoy!

Father talks about his mother when asked specifically to, but no one ever really asks. It brings a sad and undignified glint to the man's eyes, and then he's tense for the rest of the day. Besides, if anyone wants to know about Martha Wayne, they need only ask Pennyworth. Pennyworth gives a wistful grin and recalls a young woman who wanted what was best for her son. Days with young Master Bruce spent in the library, reading books before Thomas insisted they watch the movie. Martha Wayne was a practical soul, and one that could be intimidating if Master Bruce or Mister Wayne were threatened, but spent most of her time teaching things to Bruce. Reading, the Piano, Art Critic, Spacial and Situational Awareness. Damian wouldn't insult Grandmother because she was his Grandmother and it would be disrespectful, and Pennyworth wouldn't give him cookies for weeks, and Father would probably ignore him.

Grayson talked about his mother whenever the opportunity presented itself. He obviously loved the woman. Damian was shocked to learn that the very mantle of Robin itself was an homage to the woman (Todd seemed surprised as well, but Drake remained suspiciously calm and seemingly distracted. Damian didn't buy it). The woman was a free spirit, apparently. A mischievous one as well. She loved the trapeze and the Elephants and the non-stop travel from place to place. Grayson claims his earliest memories were on the decks of the Trapeze, watching his mother and father practice. He also recalls riding elephants with his mother sat behind him, keeping his steady until he could do it on his own. He recalled she had trouble sleeping, though he never knew why, so sometimes, in the middle of the night, she'd wake him up silently with a mischievous glint in her eye, and they'd go around the tent setting pranks for people. He remembered learning to sew from his mother, and sewing his Flying Grayson leotard with her help. Damian would never insult Grayson's mother, because she sounded like the maybe best woman ever, and it would make Grayson give him that annoying look where he's not even angry, just sad.

Todd. Todd tended to avoid the topic of his mother, unless it was for dark comedy purposes. Between his morbid jokes, Damian could gather that the woman loved him, but loved her addiction more. He could also gather that Todd adored his mother more then almost anything in the world, held her on a pedestal as an ideal perfected by reflection and nostalgia that never did anything inherently wrong and only wanted the best. (Damian very carefully drew no similarities between himself and Todd here). Sometimes, in those odd moments where Todd seems almost vulnerable, he would recall a young woman that woke him up with Spanish-pop music and the smell of pancakes and teasing about him sleeping in, on really good days. Damian knew next to nothing else about the woman, and would maybe insult her, if he was angry enough at Todd and sure enough that he could escape with his life.

Drake, though, Drake was an enigma. Drake never spoke of his parents, but they were rich enough that Damian could conduct research. The woman was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, the stereotypical kept-woman of a wealthy businessman. Blonde, beautiful, short, ditzy. Little more then arm candy, from what he could gather, with no spine or personality besides possibly being a gold-digger. He decided it was more then fair to make mockeries of Drakes mother, sure that the woman was nothing but an exceedingly average embarrassment to the almighty Red Robin.

Imagine his surprise, then, when he called Drake a 'Son of a Bitch', an insult widely avoided in their odd 'family', and, instead of the indigent fury he was expecting, Drake just _freezes_.

He stares at Damian somewhat nervously, looking around as if checking for someone hidden in the shadows. Then he scrutinized Damian himself, and the boy just glared, eager to start a fight and put Drake in his place away from where Grayson could step in and cut it short with a scolding.

Drake shifted and Damian reached for his sword, only to be entirely caught off guard by a spurt of just-that-side-of-manic laughter. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, scoffing, and then spoke up chipper voice that hurt Damian's ears.

"Oh, little Ibn al Xu'ffasch, I'm no son of a bitch." He chirped, and Damian freezes, because he hadn't heard that name in years. Where did Drake, of all people, get it? Drake's smiled widened to show a few too many teeth as he continued, "I'm the heir to a bastard." He proclaimed with far too much amusement, and Damian is feeling very wrong footed as Drake snorts, tacking on, "Well, two these days, if we're counting Bruce."

With that, he answered a comm from Brown and waved Damian off, departing with far more grace and confidence and sharp edges then he had ever associated with his predecessor.


End file.
